Who’s Who | Oliver Smith: First generation comedian

Published 3:02 pm Monday, July 30, 2012

Editor’s note: Each year, the Bainbridge Island Review publishes our Who’s Who, a special section filled with personality profiles of the people who help make Bainbridge Island unique.

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Oliver knows.

And he’ll tell you through his extensive cannon of knock, knock jokes — from “Amos,” for “A mosquito bit me!” to “Wildebeest” for “Will the beast be dining alone tonight?”

Each joke is told with an appropriate accent in order to make it land.

J. Oliver Jackson Smith, or “Oli” to his friends and family, is a true islander. He moved to Bainbridge when he was “negative four-months-old” as his mother Eon Smith puts it.

Now 5, the talented Oli spends much of his time with family, picking up clever skills such as joke-telling, writing upper and lower case letters, and counting.

“I can count past 200, and past 300, and past 400, and past 500 … until 600,” Oli said.

He has also discovered he has an aptitude for dancing after viewing the 1984 film, “Breakin’.”

In addition to his variety of performance and numerical skills, Oli has also picked up some important values. For example, how violence is never the answer.

“But when it is, it is for punching bad guys in the noggin’,” Oli notes.

Even so, should he meet a bad guy, Oli can make use of a variety of scary faces that he can make.

He said he has taken to his family’s cherished pasttime. Like his sister, mother and grandfather before him, Oli enjoys a good video game. Angry Birds is currently his favorite.

Oli has also spent his early years refining his palate.

“My favorite foods are potatoes, and meat, and beets,” Oli said.

He notes that raspberries have a special place in his heart, too.

There are some foods, however, that Oli have matured beyond.

“I’m sick of hot dogs!” Oli said.

His accumulated talents will go to good use as Oli takes on the next big step in his life this fall — kindergarden.

But the young mind is a bit wary about the educational move. Not because of school, but because of something else.

“I got to get shots,” Oli said with little enthusiasm. “I need three more shots.”

Once he jumps that hurdle, Oli is excited to begin learning. He is specifically looking forward to reading.

“I want to learn reading,” he said. “Because I have to learn how to read. I’m gonna read books.”